Did social media aid "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"?

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" has taken over the movie-going public, with an 82 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a huge $54.8 million opening weekend. Many are saying that the movie's success is not only due to great reviews, but also the film's huge online marketing campaign, including viral videos, mobile apps and Twitter hashtags which helped the film trend online. What'sTrending Live asked if a movie's social (media) presence has anything to do with its box office success?

Web influencer and creator of Star.Me, Ze Frank, who admittedly hasn't seen the movie, said onWhat'sTrending Live that the success of "Apes" had a lot to do with how they rebooted the series and took out most of the racist suggestions. "It's a little more like a Kevin James movie now," he joked. Frank insisted he wasn't more likely to watch something just because social media told him too.

"I don't spend much of my time feeling manipulated (by the internet)," he commented.

It was comedian Loni Love who drove the main point home. "If the movie isn't good, then it can backfire with all the marketing," she commented, adding that buzz about a bad movie can spread as fast as a good movie thanks to social media. She then added that online campaigns are now doing what fast food promotions used to.

However, the real reason people were watching "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"? "Because of James Franco! He is fine. I went to see it three times because of Franco!" she said with zeal.

Seems like most of you agreed with Love online: It's all about James Franco.

Which social platform is doing the best at getting you psyched about new movies?